TORONTO — Strength in the base metal and battery metal stocks helped Canada’s main stock index climb more than 100 points in late-morning trading, while U.S. stock markets also moved higher.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 135.20 points at 20,764.65.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 71.78 points at 37,162.02. The S&P 500 index was up 13.76 points at 4,720.85, while the Nasdaq composite was up 27.80 points at 14,761.76.

The Canadian dollar traded for 74.55 cents US compared with 73.74 cents US on Wednesday.

The January crude oil contract was up US$2.50 at US$71.97 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up four cents at US$2.37 per mmBTU.

The February gold contract was up US$56.70 at US$2,054.00 an ounce and the March copper contract was up 11 cents at US$3.90 a pound.